is a series of letters between the devil and his protégé, in the style of “The Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis. He also wrote the play “Ripples From Walden Pond: An Evening with Henry David Thoreau,” which premiered at the Cygnet Theater in Old Town San Diego earlier this year.

■ Jesse Kellerman

Kellerman’s

“Potboiler”

is his fifth novel — the former four were international bestsellers. Opening with funeral arrangements and a search being called off, “Potboiler” sets the stage for a complex thriller — complete with double crossing, romance and the inevitable twist. There is an undeniable Stephen King influence, bear in mind.

■ Benjamin K. Bergen

Bergen is an associate professor at UC San Diego in the cognitive science department. Integrating psychology, philosophy, theory and humor, his

“Louder Than Words”

explores different approaches to meaning; why certain things mean more than others and how we use language and visuals to express that. It is an elaborate exploration into how the mind works.

■ Hal Taxel

Taxel chose La Jolla as the setting for his novel,

“A Legacy of Death,”

wherein a Greek Orthodox family torn apart by jealousy and murder, live a life of drama exceeding soap opera levels. It contains strong language and sexual imagery.